Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-11
The PLAZA CHURCH.
Easter at the church of Our Lnd J
of AngelsA

Easter at the Chur rch of Our Lndy
of AngelsA
For many years that old church hat
not been so crowded as it was yesterday
Four masses are celebrated at tina
church every Sunday, at 6, at s, at
for the children. and high mass al
1880 A. N. The church was really
crowded at every mass. There were in
structions given at every mass, but the
two principal sermons were at and
1880 A NJ, when there was u most
beautiful solemn high mass. The music
by the children of the Sisters School. di-
rected by Professor A. G.. Gardner, could
not be better. The sermon was preached
by Father Peter. He began by thanking
the congregation for their attendance
during holy week and for their gener
Osity in sending flowers and candles
He said that it gave him great consola.
tiop, and was proof of their faith and
their love to Jesus in the blessed sacra-
ment. He took then that text of the
Prophet, Ps. III v. "a. "This is the day
that the Lord hath made, let US Re joice
and be glad therein" and after giving
the reasons of the r'ioicement we all
should feel on this day, he preached d
the subject be had promised, that the
resurrection was a proof of our future
resurrection. Yes. he said, to-day is a
day of joy for all true Christians, be
cause in the resurrection of Christ we
see proof of our futare resurrection.
The triumph of Jesus Chrit over the
grave is not only the regeneration of our
death in sin; it is also the resurrection
of our flesh. His resurrection assures u
that we, too, shall rise from the dead
He was frs, born from among the dead,
and be will be followed ly his servants
hence We say in the Apostles Creed, Il
believe in the resurre ction of the body" !"
The dead, we believe, as the church
teaches, with their bodies shall rise again
at the last day in accordance with the
express promise of Christ himself, and
in consequence of His victory, We will
rise with the very same bodies we have
now, otherwise it would not be a resur.
rection, by which the same thing that
dies lives sgain. but it would be q new
creation. Yet, said the Rev. Father,
we will not rise again with the natural
imperfec'ious or mens'rosities which W
perhaps had while on earth, because the
resurrection of our bodies will be work
of Col, an as all that God does is per
feet, He will correct all the natural de-
fects and projections, if we had any.
Faith tells us that this very flesh shall
one day be restored aud united again to
the soul; that the identity Of the
glcrifed body is as certain as that Of the
beatitied soul. As we are to see God
by our spirits, so our lives, and mem
bers, and featur are to be lighted up
with this glory. We shall be changed
at the great hour when the trumpet of
the Arch ngel awakes the dead. Our
bodies shall be spiri ua,ized and lifted
above the laws which now govern mat.
ter, but the life that shall quicken them,
shall in no wise destroy their identity.
Such is our faith. Here the Father
gave the proofs of such belief. He
said that the justice of God demands
the resurrection of our bodies, for the
body has co.operated with the soul in
all the good or evil it has done. He
then proved it from texts of the Old
Testament, Job, ch 10, and from the
New Testament, l. John, ch. g. v. 50,
SO, ard from the Apostle st. Paul, Cor.
ch. 10, and from st. John, ch. l, v. Is.
After commenting on the said texts the
Rev. Father said: Sat tho general
judgment we are to give account OF the
deeds done in the body, and
to enter upon an eternal reward
or punishment. The whole man
is to be recompensed with the Joy of
heaven or consigned to the flames OF
hell. In my fesh," says Job, II shall
see God; whom shall see myself, and
mine eyes shall behold, and not another.
God" said he, 'can destroy both body
and soul in hell" The members in
which we have snned must take part in
our chastsemeLt, and the flesh which
we have subdued, must participate in
our eternal bliss. The Rev. Father said
here: My brethren, let mere philoso-
pliers say what pleases them; they can
never preserve the completeness OF man
after death, without the restoration of
his identical body. We are not wholly
spiritual, we are composed of matter
and spirit, and the soul is not the man.
The body must be restored, or the man
as he was on earth ceases to be. He con-
tinued for while on the same line, and
finished sa, ing with Job. "In my flesh l
shall see my God," these eyes shall see
bim, as angels attend him to the throne
of Judgment; these ears shall be startled
at the sound of his words; this voice
shall awake to praise him, or to confess
the justice of the irrevocable sentence;
these hands shall help me rise from my
grave, and these feet shall bear me to
the tribunal of my Judge. If sleep in
Christ, shall awake even as be did on
the morning of the third day, clothed
with light more glorious than the sun;
the music of seraphim shall charm my
bewildered senses, and Jesus shall behold
me with mild and cheerful face.
shall be myself once more. shall live
and reign where there is one perpetual
day, where change is unknown. l an
immortal, my whole being is redeemed
Well we may thank God for this hop'
which is laid up in our bosoms. IT is tht
ceriain revelation of God the corse